From Amazon.com:
The sequel to Frank McCourt's memoir of his Irish Catholic boyhood, Angela's Ashes, picks up the story in October 1949, upon his arrival in America. Though he was born in New York, the family had returned to Ireland due to poor prospects in the United States. Now back on American soil, this awkward 19-year-old, with his "pimply face, sore eyes, and bad teeth," has little in common with the healthy, self-assured college students he sees on the subway and dreams of joining in the classroom. Initially, his American experience is as harrowing as his impoverished youth in Ireland, including two of the grimmest Christmases ever described in literature. McCourt views the U.S. through the same sharp eye and with the same dark humor that distinguished his first memoir: race prejudice, casual cruelty, and dead-end jobs weigh on his spirits as he searches for a way out. A glimpse of hope comes from the army, where he acquires some white-collar skills, and from New York University, which admits him without a high school diploma. But the journey toward his position teaching creative writing at Stuyvesant High School is neither quick nor easy. Fortunately, McCourt's openness to every variety of human emotion and longing remains exceptional; even the most damaged, difficult people he encounters are richly rendered individuals with whom the reader can't help but feel uncomfortable kinship. The magical prose, with its singing Irish cadences, brings grandeur and beauty to the most sorrowful events, including the final scene, set in a Limerick graveyard.

Going into a bookring...

1. Elefteria
2. Digimike
3. Zijdewerkster

RELEASE NOTES:

Taking it with me for the first bookcrosser of this ring...Elefteria :-)))

got it from Tinybear on the meeting yesterday and already started reading. good book!

I liked this book just as much as the first from McCourt. Only a bit disappointing that in the second half of the book the story goes too fast, jumping through time and leaving me with some questions about what happened to come from A to B. but over all a good read! thanks Tinybear for this bookring!

RELEASE NOTES:

giving the book to Digimike today or friday.

Got it! Thanx, Elefteria, also for the 'sungreeting paper'! :-)

I finally read this book! Perhaps my expectations were too high after Angela's Ashes or perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for such a tragedy, but to be honest, I was a bit disappointed in this book. It keeps going on about the tragedies of Frank and he keeps going on drinking and having self-pity. I was really irritated by his character and I didn't understand why Alberta wanted to marry him. When she gets angry on him, I really can understand why she is so angry. This is what she said: "she's had enough of me (...) and my whining about how I want to do this and the other thing, how I want to be everything but responsible. Too much complaining". I had the same feeling when I read the story and that made it hard to read it all. That's the reason it took me quite a while to finish it. Nevertheless, I wanted to finish the book because I was curious to its ending. But at the end I agree with Elefteria, it goes too fast... I am sorry to admit but I really liked Angela's Ashes much more, however I am glad I know this now. Thanks for ringing, TinyBear! As soon as I have the address of Zijdewerkster I will send it to her.

This afternoon I found 'Tis in my mailbox. I really want to read this book, but it has to wait a bit, because I am still reading another book. I hope I get used to reading in English soon, because it's been a while since I read in English... we'll see!
Thank you Digimike for sending this book to me, and thank you TinyBear for making this book a ringbook!

Ik heb het adres van Draakje opgevraagd, daar ga ik het boek naar toe doorsturen. Helaas ongelezen.. Ik heb er op dit moment de rust niet voor om het goed en aandachtig te kunnen lezen. Omdat het anders zo lang bij mij blijft hangen, stuur ik het liever door.

Ik ga het boek zometeen in de brievenbus doen (8 november).

Ik heb het boek al een paar dagen in huis maar ik kon het niet melden. Mijn modem had de geest gegeven. Gelukkig is de nieuwe nu geïnstalleerd.
Bedankt voor het ringen TinyBear en zijdewerkster voor het opsturen.

Ik heb het boek niet gelezen, op het moment gaat Engels lezen me te moeizaam. Het boek gaat terug naar TinyBear!